HTLA pay and conditions.

I am a supply teacher thinking of applying for HTLA posts. How much is the pay? Does this usually mean term time contracts only, as with many T.A posts? I still like teaching but with a young family cant imagine doing the hours full time as a teacher. It is so difficult to work out what the pay is, when some mention pro rata and some dont. Increasingly they mention points on a scale rather than the salary amount. Any advice appreciated. Also if there are any teachers out there doing this job, then I would appreciate your opinions on the job. Thanks.

I am a supply teacher thinking of applying for HTLA posts. How much is the pay? Does this usually mean term time contracts only, as with many T.A posts? I still like teaching but with a young family cant imagine doing the hours full time as a teacher. It is so difficult to work out what the pay is, when some mention pro rata and some dont. Increasingly they mention points on a scale rather than the salary amount. Any advice appreciated. Also if there are any teachers out there doing this job, then I would appreciate your opinions on the job. Thanks.

I'm sure you'll find from other replies that asking what TAs get paid is like asking "How long is a piece of string?" It depends an awful lot where you are. My LEA pays term time + four weeks. I think that's the least they can legally pay. The FTE is 17500 to 19000, but its impossible to earn that much because of the 'term time only' factor, and most TAs only get paid for contact hours. (That's 25hrs/week in primary)Soooo..... a primary HLTA in my area would earn not much over 10,000.
HTH

On top of the pro - rata thing, aren't HLTA posts usually split contract arrangements, so that it is only for those hours standing in front of a class, which is what most HTs want them for. So the 'opportunity' for advancement and a career ladder does not amount to much in financial terms. HLTAs at my school don't get much out of the so called status, at least not in their purses.

In Staffordshire the recommendation is similar to other parts of the country - scale 18-21 which is level 4 pay. £15675 - £17469 (whole year contract).

Although my particular school has chosen to accept these recommendations you will find that TA pay is negotiated locally, which you will not be used to as a teacher. As Jan E says 'how long is s piece of string?' If you were to do a full survey you would probably get several hundred different answers to the same question!!

I don't have a split contract, or pro-rata pay and I get paid all year round; but as Galadriel points out this is not the case for everyone.

What area are you in? Do you mind if I ask what you do do on a daily basis to get HLTA pay for all hours? It sounds rude but it's not meant to be.

We have two HLTAs at our school who were singled out from the outset and they work in different key stages. I am told that there is no need for anymore as PPA time is now covered, which essentially means that there is no 'advancement' for the rest of the staff and this can be quite demoralising. When the restructuring began I thought it would be open to all staff, but this has not proved to be the case - there is still no personal autonomy in how you percieve your role and what you think you might do with it as all training has to go through the HT. At my last 'chat' when touching on personal development, I was told that I had done 'all the courses' for TAs. This cannot ever be true I would have thought, as there is always more to learn, and even from a motivational point of view, it must feed into the way you feel about yourself and how you subsequently translate this into your practice.

It is interesting to see how other TAs are being 'used' for want of a better word, but as I have said on another post, it is yet more fuel for the necessity of a national structure, so we all know where we are and what we can aim for - but even as I write I know it is not going to happen.

But - really pleased that some of you have found a way through this arduous maze to better things.

I have HLTA status and am paid for all hours at that rate. HLTA is supposed to demonstrate your competency and experience - you can't turn your competency on and off - you work at a high level all the time so should be paid accordingly. Anything else is cost cutting!

Exactly so! And I suspect that most HLTAs are in existence for the cost cutting bit. Very sad - but true. Everyone I speak to is used to front classes, and yet when this was all first mooted there were going to be different pathways?

Don't know what happened to the other areas where HLTAs could demonstrate competence.

HLTA is about (previously mentioned) working at those standards in most or all the things you do. Covering classes is but ONE standard. I work as a TA in years one and two. My area is North of England....I don't want to give anymore info on here. A lot depends on the HT and how he values TAs....my school just has a policy of only teachers covering classes. It does happen occasionally that I will take a class in an emergency but its rare.

Iam fortunate enough to work in a school where HLTA status is recognised and rewarded for the 2 of us who are qualified. Our Head is encouraging others to get the qualification (free) but that she would be unable to pay for the qualification as there is no position available for more HLTAs. This surely is fair, would you only go for your qualification if you could be paid for that in the job you hold. Once you have the qualification you are able to apply for any job advertised requiring that qualification (and we are now seeing them begin to appear). If you don't have the qualification you can't apply for the job. My county has produced a very detailed job description, which when I showed my union rep, surprised her as to the responsibilities I am required to undertake whilst actually doing the HLTA job. I cover PPA time for secondary level teachers each afternoon and am required to provide EMERGENCY supply only if a teacher is off sick or away from the classroom for any long period of time, this means that the school have actively tried to get a supply teacher and failed. As this can, and obviously does, happen at very short notice our Head agreed that we get paid HLTA rates for all our contracted hours. We are also lucky enough to get 1 1/2hrs PPA time ourselves as we have to prepare the lessons we deliver each afternoon. I would urge anyone to go for the qualification if they get the opportunity and they would like to take up the challenge. More and more jobs will become available and be advertised - after all, not all of the jobs will be in schools, they may be with your local LEA (as here) and they are not going to offer to train you.

I passed HLTA last year, since Sept I take classes every afternoon and work in the class or with small SEN groups in the mornings. I am paid a 2 different rates for this work. I am due to have my 1st appraisal next week (been at the school 7 yrs!!). I am going to ask for my job description to be changed so my title will be HLTA. Like the posts before I feel that I am a HLTA all the time and not just when I am infront of a class. I know I will still get better money when taking a class but I passed the HLTA for my "everyday" work not for taking classes. Does this sound unreasonable? Also I have read that some HLTAs also have other respondsiblities, could anyone tell me what these are ?

galadriel - I agree the standards show competence working in lots of areas not just whole class.

Anyone who is willing to do the job on a split contract is foolish (imo). Gaining status and covering PPA saves your school shed loads of money so you should use this as your chance to bargain for better pay and conditions.

So each TA is paid term time only plus their individual holiday entitlement for the number of years they have worked for their LEA. This figure is then pro rata from single status, 37 hours per week is full time, to the actual hours that you work.
So for example 38 weeks plus 6weeks holiday entitlement =44 weeks and then pro rata at 32.5 hours.

A new member of staff starting work in a school as a level 1 TA would start on £10,872 and progress annually up to £13,458.

If a member of staff was currently working in a school for example as a nursery nurse whose salary would be protected for two years anyway, undertook the HLTA and was employed as such, she/he would be assimilated onto the new levels between 18 - 28, which is £15,675 to £21,654. This would be at the HT discretion. But if the TA was assimilated at SCP 25 over the next three years their salary would rise to point 28 which is £21,654.

Not all Level 4 TA's who have HLTA status have to take classess their is also the Lead TA role with responsibility for other TA's in school. Obviously this again is at the HT discretion.

I understand the arguments against split contracts.... I don't 'switch off' my HLTA skills when I'm paid at level 2, but its the job, not the person that attracts the pay. If the OP was to get a HLTA post, she would be paid HLTA rates even though she is a teacher.
My small primary did not have a need for a full time HLTA when I went through the process, but the HT was willing to support me for my personal development. Now the full implications of PPA have been realised, there will be two of us job-sharing a full time HLTA post from September. For this we will be expected to cover PPA (and possibly a day's planned absence)in other classes if the TA who would normally do it is absent. Before Christmas I was off for four weeks with a chest infection. The head had to bring in a supply teacher to do my PPA cover, and it cost the school loads!
Playa, my other HLTA duties include performance management for other TAs, mentoring a TA on the Foundation degreee, running the school website, teaching a child with SpLD and assessing children for SpLD (I have a dyslexia teaching qualification).